


will this one be right?

by Patcho418



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, First Meetings, Fluff, Lowkey flirty Asami is flirty, Meet-Cute, and bashful Korra is bashful, flowershop au, korrasami secret santa 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21921760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patcho418/pseuds/Patcho418
Summary: Asami runs a flowershop, and on one of her slower days a very interesting and very pretty customer comes looking for some flowers for her friends.(For tumblr user Astrodoesart for the Korrasami Secret Santa/Gift Exchange! Hope you enjoy!)
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 22
Kudos: 294





	will this one be right?

Sure, Christmas isn’t exactly the most profitable time for flower shops, but even Asami’s surprised when her first and only customer of the day leaves the store without making a purchase.

Asami pleasantly waves them off, a grin spread across her lips, but the moment the door closes and she hears that bell jingle, she slumps tiredly against the counter, her smile instantly pulling into a frown.

“Business as usual,” she laments cynically to herself. A quick look around the shop confirms how empty it is, and another quick look outside confirms that the day is nearly done, the sun already chased away by the approaching night sky. 

She lets out a sigh; not even many of the holiday-specific flowers and plants she’s ordered have been making it out of the shop. Boughs of holly sit untouched on the shelf beside ivy, and her carefully-not-hung mistletoe has received a lot less attention than she was expecting it would.

Maybe it’s the area, she wonders, or maybe it’s that most people don’t understand or appreciate the novelty and personal touch of flowers as gifts or hanging mistletoe between yourself and your partner. Maybe, she wonders deeper, she’s seriously misjudged how popular it might even be; after all, she’s not having much luck herself, and the thought that maybe it’s wishful thinking on her part hovers briefly in the back of her mind.

Asami looks at her till; the clock in the corner of the screen reads 6:20, and she breathes in relief that ‘slow night number four’ this week is less than an hour away from ending. She only has to hope she can get one more customer to walk in—

The bell above her door jingles, and she blinks several times in surprise as she straightens her back to welcome her new customer; she never gets the chance, as her usual greeting stalls in her mouth at the sight of the young woman who’s just entered.

It’s impossible not to immediately be attracted to her, cheeks red from the biting winds outside and clear blue eyes moving across the displays of the shop. A fringe of dark brown hair frames her strong jaw perfectly, as strong as her shoulders framed by a fitted leather jacket with several buttons pinned to the lapels.

The woman quickly moves to the cash register and displays a frantic but genuine smile. “Hi, sorry, I know you’re probably closing soon,” she says nervously.

Asami has to shake herself to consciousness to register what is being said to her, and when she does she raises her hands in protest and smiles. “Don’t worry about it,” she offers kindly. “Welcome to Future Flowers. What can I do for you?”

The woman puts a hand behind her head as her expression turns pensive. “Well, I’m not exactly sure, to be honest.” She pauses, chuckles nervously. Asami waits for her to continue, not the least bit disinterested in the faint glow of her cheeks (and desperately hoping her own isn’t visible to her customer). 

In a quick moment, the woman inhales sharply, though her hand doesn’t leave the back of her head. “Well, it’s probably a long shot, but my friend Bolin’s been really into flowers lately, and he says that they’re a really great gift to get for people, especially if you want them to know something,” she hastily explains.

Asami nods. “Well, I’d say you’ve got a pretty smart friend, then.” She leans forward against the counter and rests her chin on her knuckles, becoming more and more curious every second with what this woman’s request could be.

“Okay,” the woman continues, “well, because he’s been so into flowers and all their meanings and everything recently, I was wondering…sorry, this is a really awkward thing to ask, and you’re a complete stranger—”

“No, it’s fine!” Asami reassures her. “Whatever you need that I can do, I’ll try my best to do it!” Then, she adds with a friendly nod: “And I’m Asami. No need to be strangers.”

The woman’s cheeks flash a shade redder. “Thank you, Asami. I’m Korra.” 

‘Korra’, Asami thinks, and she blushes at the gorgeous name belong to this gorgeous woman.

Korra inhales shakily and finally pulls her hand from behind her head, sliding it into her pocket as her stance becomes more relaxed again. “Well, if you’ve got the time, I’d like to know about some of the flowers you have here? And maybe what I could get for him as a little surprise Christmas present?” Then, she pulls her hands out of her pockets and hastily adds: “Along with the poster of his favourite band I picked up!”

Asami smirks, then chuckles into her hand as she pulls away from the counter. She’s always been passionate, yet for most of her life she’s never had people to share her passions with, and even if it’s just a stranger she finds a little (a lot) cute, Asami’s glad that she’s being given the chance to talk about something she loves.

She places her fingers against her chin thoughtfully. “Just out of curiosity, what’s his favourite band?”

“Team Avatar,” the woman says quickly, and a flash of passion sparks in her eyes too. “They’re pretty cool.”

“Sounds like a cool name,” Asami comments with a smile. She moves around the till and opens the gate to the sales floor, making sure to tighten her apron before stopping beside her customer. “So flowers,” she begins, “what do you want to know?”

“What can you tell me? I’m kinda new at this.”

“Well,” Asami begins, bringing Korra to her favourite display; it’s only a small glass table with two shelves, though the assortments of smaller flowers it displays are colourful and vivid. White baby’s breath flowers delicately surround small bunches of forget-me-nots and boughs of heather, at the back of which sit several sedum flowers.

It’s a setup inspired by her mother, and it’s why it’s her favourite, and it’s why she starts by explaining the meanings of the individual flowers to Korra—“The baby’s breath is for innocence, purity, and undying love, and the forget-me-nots are for remembrance”—all while watching interest grow in the Korra’s eyes.

“That’s a cute name,” Korra mentions with an innocent smirk playing across her lips.

“What, the baby’s breath?”

Korra bobs her head enthusiastically. “Yeah, that one! It’s like…it makes me think of…”

Asami purses her lips playfully. “A baby?” she hazards a guess, though by the way Korra’s smirk stretches wider she has a hunch she’s not wrong.

“Rohan,” Korra replies with a playful look of her own. “Who, I guess, is a baby. He’s a family friend’s youngest.”

“That’s probably why a lot of these flowers have meanings,” Asami muses. “To remind us of important people in our lives, and what they mean to us.”

Korra shrugs bashfully. “And here I thought they were just pretty.”

“Well, they’re not only pretty!”

They laugh again, and it’s easy to forget the slow crawl of the day before this moment, easy to slip into a role she plays so well into, easy to talk about flowers and beauty and the things that mean the most in life with Korra, this woman she’s known for all of five minutes and has already piqued her curiosity more than any other person she’s met. She watches Korra laugh, doubled over as she braces her chin against her knuckles, and Asami thinks it’s the most adorable thing she’s seen in the longest time. 

Asami’s able to hide her blush behind her hand is it subsides in her cheeks right before Korra looks back at her, still keeled over and sighing the last bits of laughter away. “Alright, well,” Korra begins as she straightens up, “maybe you can show me something else?”

“What’s on your mind?”

Korra pauses and frowns for a moment as if deep in thought as her eyes scan the shop. Asami watches where her gaze flows to, trailing over the different displays of brilliant colour she has set up before finally her gaze settles back on Asami, a noticeable spark of interesting in the blue of her eyes. 

“I’ve got a few other people in my life who might appreciate some flowers,” she explains. “Maybe if I tell you about some of them you can help me find what works?”

Asami’s smile widens and she feels her heart begin to race at the idea. “Absolutely! We can see what matches best and maybe I can put some small bouquets together for you to pick up?”

“Sounds perfect!” 

Asami leads her around the shop, taking note of the interest Korra has in some of the flowers and their meanings; she makes sure to take extra note when she gets particularly enthusiastic about something to add that to her suggestions. Korra tells her about her parents, about how much she loves them and their support especially after going through such a rough time with them in previous years, and Asami suggests gardenias and some blue or purple hyacinths, something that Korra agrees on with a keen nod. She mentions her friend Bolin again—“think anything will match the Team Avatar band vibes?” she jokes, to which Asami has quite a few joke answers to give—and his brother Mako; she mentions how close they are to her and how she wants to thank them both for their support, and alstroemeria and chrysanthemum come immediately to Asami’s mind.

Finally, Korra takes another look around the shop and pauses, her expression turning soft before she sighs bashfully. “How about someone you think is kinda cute?”

Asami blinks in surprise. “You mean like a crush?”

Korra’s cheeks redden. “Yeah, like a crush.”

There’s a pang of disappointment in Asami’s chest, one that she hopes doesn’t translate to a frown on her face, but she pushes against it. After all, Korra’s her customer, and she has to offer her the best service she can.

Her eyes dart to the Christmas display for a brief moment. “Well, if you want to be really forward about it, I do have mistletoe.”

Korra’s hands shoot up and she waves defensively, seemingly embarassed. “Whoa, maybe not so forward!”

“Noted,” Asami teases with a coy smirk. “Then maybe some pink or purple roses?”

“Roses? Aren’t those a little obvious?” Korra asks.

“Sometimes there’s something to be said for obvious.” And Asami knows she’s being anything but, and she knows she probably shouldn’t be laying on the teasing so much, but it’s so easy to think it and say it. Plus, it’s absolutely worth it for the soft look of consideration that flashes across Korra’s face.

“You’re probably right,” Korra says with a nod. “Those would be perfect.”

‘Perfect,’ Asami thinks; it’s not the first time in the past fifteen minutes Korra’s used that word, and she can’t help but think about how perfect it all is, about how perfect Korra will be for her crush.

It’s bittersweet, but Asami’s not unused to disappointment, and she has a satisfied customer leaving the store tonight with orders placed and thoughts of loved ones in her mind, and if that’s not perfect in its own way then she’s not sure she ever knew what that word means.

Asami processes the order all the while Korra bounces with excitement against the counter, her eyes scanning Asami’s form to make sure she’s got all the right flowers for her bouquets. 

She gives Korra the bill (and doesn’t let her know she’s thrown in a little discount for being the cutest customer she’s had today) and Korra reaches into her pocket to pay. She counts her money in her hand and slides it carefully into Asami’s hand, then withdraws with a bit of an anxious chuckle; Asami smiles at her and subdues her own nervous laugh, trying her best to focus on putting the money into the till and not on the residual ghost of Korra’s fingers against hers.

“It probably won’t take too long to put them together,” Asami informs her. “You should be able to pick them up by tomorrow morning, maybe around ten?”

“Great!” Korra enthuses. “I’ll be there! Or, here. I’ll be here.” Her hand finds its way to the back of her head again, and Asami wonders what it is that’s making her so bashful. “Thank you so much again, you’re an absolute lifesaver.”

It’s adorable to Asami, and a perfect chance for her to let Korra know how much fun it was to display her passions to someone after such a pitiful work day and how delightful a person Korra was to be around.

Instead, she flashes her her most professional grin. “The pleasure’s all mine!”

The words stick in her mind long after Korra’s left the shop, and she wishes she’d said something else. Instead, she gets to work arranging the first bouquet.

*

The clock strikes ten, and just as she promised the night before Korra is there, glowing with enthusiasm and bouncing with excitement.

Asami has to stop herself from throwing herself over the counter to greet her; she stayed late at the shop long after she closed up to trim every stem, make every bouquet prim and pristine and free of dirt, make sure the bows holding the flowers together were tied perfectly to the highest standard she has of herself. She only hopes her extra attention to detail isn’t in vain.

And it isn’t; Korra’s mouth goes wide when Asami brings out the bouquets. “They’re beautiful!” she says as she inspects each flower and her expression grows happier. “You’re awesome at this, Asami!”

“Thanks.” Now it’s Asami’s turn to be a little bashful, and she can’t hide the blush that paints her cheeks pink. “I’m glad you like them!”

“Like them? I love them!” Then, with a wistful sigh: “I hope everyone else does, too!”

“I’m sure they will,” Asami says. “If they’re from the heart and mean something, you can’t go wrong. And only a real jerk wouldn’t like getting flowers.”

Korra chuckles at her tease as she takes the bouquets from Asami, and then goes quiet. At first, Asami wonders maybe she’s said something, and she wonders that maybe Korra does know a real jerk who doesn’t like getting flowers. Again, a pang of worry makes her chest clench around her heart, and she waits for Korra to either explain or sidestep the silence.

And then, Korra looks down at the flowers, and Asami’s eyes follow. Her expression is still wistful, but she can sense unease, apprehension, and it makes Asami’s stomach churn. Does she not actually like them? Is she having second thoughts about giving them to people?

And then, Korra takes the rose bouquet—the one Asami admittedly put the most work into—and holds it out to her.

Time stops, and Asami’s heart sinks. So she doesn’t want those ones. Asami’s not unused to disappointment, but when it hits it hits all the same.

“Is there something wrong with them?” she wonders aloud, trying to make sure her voice remains neutral.

“What?” Korra breathes, then looks at Asami, then her eyes go wide. “No! No! Not at all! They’re, well…they’re for you.”

Time resumes, and a breath that Asami didn’t know she’d been holding escapes her lips, and suddenly any unease she’d felt just moments before lifts away, replaced by a slow build of elation as she reaches for the bouquet.

“I hope it’s not weird or anything,” Korra says timidly. “You know, buying flowers for a florist from her own shop.”

Asami can’t help but giggle. “It’s not weird at all, Korra. I think it’s sweet.” Then, the realization hits her, and she brings the flowers close to her face to hide her blush. “So I guess you kind of like me then?”

“I guess I kind of do,” Korra admits. “Or, at least, I think you’re really pretty and hope maybe I can get to like you? If you want? We can grab dinner or something?”

Asami’s heart beats faster with every word she says, her mind racing with thoughts and ideas about getting to know Korra, about the sweetness of her words and actions, about the bouquet of purple and pink roses she now lets falls slowly to her chest.

She looks at Korra, the hopeful glint in her eyes sending waves of endearment through her, and she feels the most delighted smile tug at the corners of her lips.

“Sounds perfect.”


End file.
